


I'm Yours

by fayrose



Series: Conflict of Interest Universe [3]
Category: Merlin (TV), Silent Witness (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-24
Updated: 2012-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 15:23:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/467786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fayrose/pseuds/fayrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wedding bells are in the air for Morgana and Nikki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Wedding

  
Finally reaching the top of the staircase, Nikki swept back an errant lock of hair and yawned. It was way past 4am and smoulderingly hot for a May night. Cursing her mauve silk heels, she kicked off the irritating shoes and put her feet down on the cool tiled floor. It was heaven. She had been at dinner with Morgana when she had gotten the call to come into work at just past 7.30pm on her evening off. They hadn’t even gotten through their starters and both of them had been dressed up to the nines. She hadn’t even been on call and they had been celebrating another of Morgana’s newly published articles – her first review. That Nikki had left had irritated her but she hidden it well. Only Nikki and perhaps their maître d' had noticed the slight tension in her pale, proud jaw. To anyone else who might have been watching, she had been disappointed but nothing more. She had even rose from her chair to take Nikki’s coat from the waiter and help her slip it on, pressing a kiss to her cheek and trying her very best to sound sincere when she assured Nikki that it was okay. They both knew it wasn’t. Nikki’s often inconvenient working hours had started to become a point of tension in their relationship. That was why Nikki had spent the best part of a month convincing Leo to take on a freelance pathologist to pick up some of their out of hours work. At about 2am that morning he had finally agreed.

Stopping in front of her door, Nikki fumbled in her elegant evening bag – Chanel, a ‘just because’ present from Morgana – for her keys, before remembering the chain that had been fitted to spec. Finding a slim silver rope near her bag’s handle, she swept her fingers downwards into the darkness within until she made contact with her keys. Being with someone as organised as Morgana had its perks, even if the crisp tidiness of her apartment often felt odd after so many years of comfortable clutter. Bringing the correct key to the lock, she twisted and pushed open the door as silently as she could.

A candle-like glow from Morgana’s energy saving lamps – the kind that never really get bright – lit their living room. Nikki had loved them instantly. With their distressed golden wood, they made a perfect reading companion that had gotten her through new health and safety directives and A  _Game of Thrones_  both. One she had read to please Leo, the other Morgana. It wasn’t hard to figure out which was which.

Sliding the door closed quietly behind her, Nikki moved into the living room, dropping her bag on the sofa without breaking her easy pace towards the kitchen. It was funny how being awake at unreasonable hours made you insane with hunger when usually you would sleep right through, content with a piece of toast come morning. Taking a cup from one of the glass-fronted cupboards, she headed for the fridge in search of milk and something sweet. Or was it something salty? Maybe both. When she opened the fridge, though, she found that the usual collection of fresh ingredients and chocolate was hidden behind a trio of stacked plastic containers labelled ‘entrée’, ‘main’ and ‘dessert’. Unable to suppress a stupidly soppy smile, she took out ‘entrée’ and lifted the lid. It was the asparagus and parmigiano reggiano gnocchi starter she had ordered but never gotten to finish. Intrigued, she put it aside and reached for ‘main’ and ‘dessert’. The former was venison and chestnuts, the main she had been eyeing on the menu. They had been ordering course by course as was the restaurant’s custom and she didn’t think she had voiced her intentions towards the dish. It was very Morgana to get it that right. Food was her thing and she could map Nikki’s tastes effortlessly. The dessert turned out to be an individually potted rhubarb crumble and vanilla custard, one of Nikki’s all time favourites. That and the melt in the middle chocolate puddings that had made their way into the bedroom more than once.

Putting the last two tubs back in the fridge, she took the gnocchi over the microwave and loosened the lid, debating how long she should heat it for. She was spared from guessing when Morgana’s arms went around her waist, her opaque dark-purple silk negligee-concealed curves pressing into Nikki’s back.

“Two minutes. Make sure you use the oven feature. The microwaves would spoil it,” Morgana whispered, her voice husky from sleep.

Nikki did as she was told before turning around in Morgana’s arms and kissing her hello, the taste of expensive red wine blooming on her tongue.

“Mmmmm...” Nikki murmured, pulling back just enough to make Morgana’s tongue chase after her, pulling her back in to a heady kiss that lasted until the microwave pinged. “I definitely don’t deserve that after abandoning you earlier.”

“I saw the shooting on the news,” Morgana said by way of explanation, her eyes dark with concern. She didn’t ask if Nikki was okay. She knew better than that. Nikki was very rarely shaken by what she saw and when she was, she preferred to be the one who came to Morgana, not the other way around.

“We just had to catalogue and report initial findings to the police. Harry and Leo will finish the job tomorrow,” Nikki whispered, reluctantly stepping out of Morgana’s embrace. She could have stayed there all night if not for the gorgeous smell coming from the microwave. “Half each?” she offered.

“No. You have it,” Morgana said, her voice still rasping enough to send shivers down Nikki’s spine. “I ate at the restaurant. That table was far too good to give up.”

Nikki wasn’t surprised. Morgana was more comfortable in her own company then anyone else she knew. It was a confidence that Nikki lacked in public. She couldn’t even sit in Costa on her own.

The sound of Morgana perching on the table-for-two drifted from behind her as Nikki took the warm plastic tub from the microwave and retrieved a fork from the drawer. It was approaching 5am and she wasn’t going to use a plate. She was going to eat of the tub like a student and enjoy every minute of it.

“Thanks for the food,” she said, pulling on a chair to move it in front of Morgana before sitting down and using Morgana’s thighs as a table.

“My pleasure,” Morgana drawled, her accent thickening as she leant back on her arms to watch Nikki eat. “How did I do?”

“Exquisitely,” Nikki commended. “Though with the dinner being tomorrow, I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to eat it.”

The formation of a plan clouded Morgana’s face for a moment. “I could warm everything up for you if you wanted. The venison will only take a few minutes in a pan and I can heat the sauce and chestnuts on the stove as well. I’m not sure how well the veggies would hold up but I could make you some more,” Morgana offered, yawning.

There was no way that Nikki’s conscience would let her have her fiancée cook for her at 5am after she had stood her up at dinner. “How about we split it for breakfast? I would rather be in bed.”

Though Morgana’s eyes were closed and her head tilted back with weariness, her smile still managed to be devilish. “Well I won’t argue with that.”

Nikki took advantage of Morgana’s closed eyes to take her in, her heart swelling. “I’m sorry about tonight. I really am so proud of you, you have no idea. It gave me tingles when I saw the article.” A smile rose unbidden to her lips. “I may have left a few copies scattered strategically around the university. I even got a phone call from an old colleague in South Africa. His wife’s a microbiologist and he’s insisting we go over in the summer.”

Morgana laughed, the sound rich like high-coco chocolate. There was a flush rising to her cheeks as she opened her eyes and brought her head forward, her silken hair falling in glossy obsidian waves. The look she gave Nikki was enough to stop her heart. She was entirely uncomfortable with her own burgeoning success and unused to having someone to be proud of her. It made Nikki impossibly impatient for their big day, the day Morgana promised to be with her for the rest of her life and beyond it.

“What will I do with you?” Morgana said teasingly, reaching down to brush back the loose lock of golden hair that had once more fallen into Nikki’s eyes.

“Marry me.”

“Just you try and stop me.”

Abandoning the tub on the actual table, Nikki brought her head forward to rest where it had sat on Morgana’s thighs, finding the spot warm, almost hot. She breathed in, Morgana’s scent slipping down into her lungs and making her lightheaded.

“Fuck,” she breathed, ridiculously tired and suddenly wide awake. “Why do you always have to smell so good?”

“To drive you insane,” Morgana purred, unclipping Nikki’s hair and running her hands through it. She liked Nikki’s hair loose and falling over her shoulders. It reminded her of the Nikki whom she woke up next to on early Sunday mornings.

Reluctantly, Nikki lifted her head, her cheeks flushed and her pupils dilating to make her chocolate eyes darken. “You look far too good to be sleeping alone,” she observed breathily.

“I was waiting, for you,” Morgana all but whispered, leaning forward to let her silk slip just enough to give Nikki a glimpse of what lay beneath. A smile curled at the corners of her lips, the mischief of it sparkling in her eyes as she continued down, catching Nikki’s chin with her long, pale fingers – stark against the flush of Nikki’s skin – and tilting it up. She felt more than heard Nikki’s breath catch as her hand had slipped to her jaw and drew her up, her other arm curling about her waist and guiding her forward to rest between her parted legs.

There is a moment a kiss becomes inevitable, unavoidable. With Morgana, Nikki found that point to be dangerously shifted so that far less lead her to that point at which she was unable to do anything but lose herself in a kiss. And kisses, she found, were almost more intimate than anything else.  A brush of the lips she could weather with her sense intact, but the moment Morgana parted her lips, she was gone. And Morgana knew that, for before even their lips had touched, her tongue was there, opening her up and sending shivers down her spine, rendering resistance utterly futile.

With her senses clouded by want, Nikki trailed the tips of her fingers up Morgana’s thighs, bunching up her negligee until the palms of her hands curved on hips that moved beneath her touch.

“I will make it up to you,” Nikki breathed, digging in her short nails to make Morgana gasp her acceptance of the apology.

“You most definitely will,” Morgana said a little wickedly, finding the zip at the back of Nikki’s dress and pulling it down to the arch of her lower back. When she was done, she smoothed her hands over Nikki’s hips then upwards, skirting teasingly close to her breasts before reaching her shoulders and brushing off the broad straps to set the deep indigo dress tumbling down to pool at her feet. Beneath it, she had been wearing barely anything, just the expensive lingerie she had been planning on letting Morgana find after their meal.

With an appreciative smile, Morgana leant back once more, using her arms for support, her gaze roving hungrily over her fiancée. It was most fortunate that they both had the coming day off. She already had plans for half of it. Plans for the ways in which Nikki could make it up to her without ever leaving the bedroom.

 

 

...

 

 

The late morning sun found them dozing under the thin burgundy sheet which had moved in with Morgana. With her pale skin and poor ability to withstand the heat, Morgana could sleep no other way on warm nights than beneath the cool, smooth cotton. They slept, as always, on their sides. Morgana lay curled close behind Nikki. Her arm was at her waist, cradling her in that close protective way that she had been unable to break herself from holding her since Emrys had snatched her in Leo’s garden. As they slept, her breath shifted the fine hairs at the back of Nikki’s neck, so close were they entwined, one leg laid slipped between her two. If it had been with anyone else, it would have felt possessive to Nikki but after all they had been through together, it felt as natural as breathing.

It was in that perfect hold that Nikki slowly woke with the delicious certainty that she was in Morgana’s arms. Her first deep breath in arched her body to feel the swell of Morgana’s breasts against her back and the splayed hand on her stomach. A contented sigh slipped from her lips and she kept her eyes closed, content to exist in the moment. It was not long before Morgana stirred, a sleepy stretch driving her leg up, pressing hard enough to make Nikki moan and cant her hips back, though she was sleepy enough not to truly be taken with sensation. Her eyes fluttered open as the pressure lessened and she saw the clock proclaim it to be 11:59. They had slept less than four hours.

“What time is it?” Morgana breathed against the back of her neck, her voice as husky with sleep as it had been when she had awoken to join Nikki in the kitchen the night before.

“Twelve,” Nikki yawned sleepily, rounding it up.

“Too early,” Morgana murmured, nuzzling against her, shifting impossibly closer until it felt to Nikki that she was surrounded by her.  Her smile bloomed and a feeling of contentment and safety settled into her as surely as Morgana’s warmth.

“Mmm,” Nikki agreed absently, letting her eyes close again. “Fancy heating up last night’s meal for me? I’m starving.”

A throaty laugh tickled the back of her neck. “Ordering me around already? We aren’t even out of bed and there’s no ring on my finger yet.”

“Just taking you up on last night’s offer, albeit a little belatedly,” Nikki countered, turning over with great effort, Morgana’s leg making the exertion all the harder. Brushing the back of her hand lightly across Morgana’s cheek earned her the day’s first glimpse at her fiancée’s eyes, meadow green. They were like the sea – sometimes grey or green and every now and again, just before sleep conquered her, a calm tropical blue.

“Good morning,” she whispered, taking her first kiss of the day – one soft and full of leisurely love.

  “Morning Miss Alexander,” Morgana murmured with a smile, biting down lightly on Nikki’s lower lip.

“That’s Dr Alexander to you, thank you very much,” Nikki berated playfully, swatting at Morgana’s hip. “And in two days time it will Dr Lafferty.”

Morgana couldn’t hide her smile. Every time Nikki’s name change was eluded to she got butterflies in her stomach, a rush of excitement and embarrassment. “Are you sure? About the Lafferty bit I mean.”

“Perfectly, as I have told you before,” Nikki smiled, brushing her thumb over the blush on Morgana’s cheek. “It’s what I want. And this way no one can ignore it.”

“You still haven’t heard back from your father then?” Morgana asked, though she knew that Nikki hadn’t. “Are you sure you sent the invitation to his current address?”

Nikki nodded, paling. She hadn’t wanted to send him the invitation in the first place. He only ever disappointed her. The last thing she wanted was him spoiling her wedding day. She had waited too long and fought too hard for it to let that happen.

 

 

 

...

 

 

The dinner had been Janet’s idea: the two ‘families’ joining for a meal the night before the wedding. They were seated at the long oaken kitchen table, feasting on ordered-in tapas that even Morgana had to admit was at least edible. Leo and Janet sat at opposite ends, holding court, whilst Nikki, Morgana, Harry, Arthur and Gwen filled up the space in between. Janet and Gwen, who had formed a surprisingly close friendship that Nikki and Morgana agreed must have come from that fact that both of them were far too sensible, had declared a drinking limit of three glasses of wine each in order to insure that no one woke up with a dodgy head the next morning. Arthur and Harry had put up the biggest fight, both insisting that they could drink far more than that before feeling the effects. Gwen had sternly reminded both of them that they would be driving the next morning and would be held personally responsible should either Nikki or Morgana turn up late. They had hastily agreed after that and Arthur had decided to forgo alcohol all together... at least until he had started to feel left out and Morgana had begun teasing him.

“Well that’s gratitude for you,” he grumbled, stealing Morgana’s own glass and downing the wine in one go. “Better?”

Morgana bit her lip in a failed attempt to suppress her smile and nodded. “Much.”

“Now, now children,” Nikki scolded playfully before Gwen got the chance. She took Morgana’s arm to get her attention. “Play nice.”

“Yes Miss,” Morgana smirked, leaning close to give her a slow deliberate kiss that lasted until Arthur kicked her under the table. “Ouch! You little brat!” she hissed, kicking him back hard enough to win the argument and assert her authority as the eldest sibling. “Just because you aren’t sitting next to you wife doesn’t mean that I have to keep my hands off my fiancée all night.”

Arthur reached down to rub his leg, his wounded expression pitiful enough to make Morgana feel a little guilty. She rolled her eyes to hide her moment of weakness. “Oh stop looking for pity, I barely touched you and the whole point is that you aren’t supposed to see her.”

“Tomorrow!” Morgana exclaimed. “I have four hours of tonight before I am to banished to your box room.”

“It isn’t a box room,” Arthur said shortly. “It just isn’t as large as the room you used to sleep in.”

“It is a box room,” Morgana defended in what was very nearly a whine. “It used to have all the baby stuff in it until you bought Morgan too much stuff and it had to be moved to my room. The place barely fits a single bed!”

Arthur scoffed. “Until  _we_  bought Morgan too much stuff? Morgana, do you really think that we wouldn’t work out who left a giant sack of presents labelled ‘From Father Christmas’ under the tree?”

“Arthur,” Gwen said softly, reaching out to turn his attention towards her before whispering something in his ear that made him pale and concede defeat.

“We were very grateful for the gifts, Morgana. But you can’t buy him that many again this year,” Gwen continued, turning her attention to the woman who was almost her fiancée all those years ago. She looked between Morgana and Nikki and smiled. “Besides, Arthur wants to know when he can expect a little niece or nephew to dote on himself.”

Morgana flushed and bit her lip. She almost jumped when Nikki’s hand slipped under the table to squeeze her thigh in a gesture that she was sure was meant to be reassuring but on the one night they couldn’t spend together in months, it felt like more of a tease than a help.

“One day, I hope,” Nikki said noncommittally.

Morgana turned to her and smiled, sliding her hand down Nikki’s spine and into the back pocket of her jeans. Two could play at that game. “Is that so?”

Nikki couldn’t help but laugh at how utterly adorable Morgana looked putting on that terribly fake looking oblivious expression. She couldn’t help leaning in to kiss her either. She was utterly spellbound.

“Well I for one will definitely not be babysitting when it does happen. Not after the last time,” Harry put in, downing the last of his glass of white and reaching for the bottle.

“What happened last time?” Gwen asked with mild interest, folding her napkin into a triangle to presumably signify that she had eaten enough and was done.

“The father didn’t come back for over a week. He was only supposed to be out for a few hours,” Harry replied. That had been about a year before Nikki had met Morgana. He had come so close to kissing Nikki that week. He wondered if anything would be different now if he had. “Nikki had to cook.”

Morgana laughed fondly. “How did that turn out?”

Harry looked up to see her gaze at Nikki with utter adoration. No, he didn’t think anything would be different. Nikki had never been happier than she was now and Morgana loved her just as much as he did. Probably even more. “I didn’t die. Came pretty close though.”

“Oh shut up the pair of you!” Nikki exclaimed, picking up the napkin that Morgana had just lain folded on the table and throwing it in Harry’s direction. It just missed the flame of the candle.

“Let’s not use flammable things as missiles around the candles,” Janet interjected, taking the napkin from Harry’s hands before he could throw it back.

“Which goes for you too,” Gwen said sternly, confiscating Arthur’s own napkin plane.

Before Arthur could grumble a reply, Leo got to his feet, wine glass in hand. “Since Harry gleefully reminded me this afternoon that I am the oldest of the people gathered here, I thought I would get up and say a few words.”

Janet sighed in what seemed to be half affection and half exasperation. “What a surprise, Dear.”

Leo, looking momentarily down at Janet and frowning, continued, “Nikki, It doesn’t seem like 5 minutes since you walked into my lab and proceeded to steal my equipment.”

Morgana snorted. “Why don’t I find that hard to imagine?”

“I did not steal your equipment! I borrowed it to help to give some sort of identity back to remains that had lain anonymous for countless lifetimes!” Nikki protested, her voice rising up an octave. “It’s not like I _moved_  anything. I just... occupied it for a while.”

“Well, whatever you were doing, you did it in a charming enough way that Harry begged me to hire you on as the third pathologist we had been debating advertising for. I’ll admit, for a long while I expected the two of you to end up together. You always seemed... perfect for each other.” He took a deep breath in and out. “But after more than 8 years of ample opportunities, you were no nearer to being together then you had been after that first week. Then you met Morgana and, though every rule in the book forbade you from letting anything happen with her, you couldn’t resist. I may not have approved at first, but only because I was concerned about your professional reputation and your career. But then I saw the two of you together and I had to admit that there was something special between you. I knew in that moment that one day I would be standing here making this absolutely atrocious speech.”

A peel of laughter rippled around the table.

“And since I haven’t been invited to give a speech tomorrow...”

“For which we are all very glad,” Janet interrupted.

Ignoring her, Leo continued, “I would like to take this opportunity raise a glass to the two of you. It hasn’t been easy. There have been more obstacles in your path in three years than most couples face in a lifetime. It is a testament to the two of you that you haven’t just made it through everything life has thrown at you, but have arrived at the other side as one of the strongest couples I have ever met. You really are perfect for one another and it’s about time it became official.” He lifted his glass and nodded to them. “To Nikki and Morgana.

“Nikki and Morgana,” the rest of the table chorused, lifting their glasses to salute the happy couple. Arthur alone looked a little disgruntled. His speech for the reception was sounding more and more pathetic by the second.

“I wish you all the happiness the world,” Leo finished, his empty hand resting on Janet’s shoulder. “You most definitely deserve it.”

 

 

...

 

 

“23:49,” Morgana murmured, drawing Nikki closer and kissing her soundly. “Time for me to go.”

“There’s no such thing as bad luck,” Nikki whispered, shaking her head.

“I want my first glimpse of you tomorrow to be you walking down the aisle towards me.”

Nikki laughed, her heart soaring. “You old romantic.”

 

 

...

 

Morgana’s hair was loose, done in large natural waves that fell down over her deep purple dress that was a so dark that it was almost black. It was simple and elegant enough, she supposed, but now she feared it was plain in comparison to Nikki’s. It fell down the floor in a clean line and had a strapless sweetheart neck that she had hated on the rack and loved the moment she saw it on. The purple lilacs in Nikki’s clasped hands matched it perfectly.

“You look  _so_  beautiful,” Gwen whispered.

Morgana tore her attention away from her reflection and met Gwen’s eyes in the mirror. For a moment she was back in South Africa, twiddling the engagement ring in the pocket of her denim shorts – too damn terrified to ‘pop the question’.

“It could have been us,” Morgana murmured, her voice barely making a sound. “I’m glad it wasn’t.”

Gwen smiled sadly. Morgan was on her hip, reaching out for Morgana with sticky hands, his rusk discarded on the floor. “Me too.”

Morgana turned around and stuck out her tongue at the one year old. She didn’t see the longing look Gwen gave her, or the way her smile fell the moment Morgana looked away.

 

...

 

 

Taking a deep breath, Morgana opened her eyes. The quartet was starting to play. She was coming.

A fusion of pale yellow calla lilies and vivid green ivy wove about her on trellises and up walls. The delicate flowers glimmered bright in the sun from the high windows to her left, almost as if the room around her had come to life from some fairytale painting in a children’s storybook. Morgana hadn’t truly believed it could be so transformed when she first saw the cold, bare room a few months previous. It had been Nikki’s dream, to get married in the castle. She had loved it from the moment they passed it one Sunday afternoon on a drive out to a country pub. The place had never served as a wedding venue before and it hardly earned its title as a castle, but Nikki had cooed over it all the same. It had been abandoned for over 200 years, they found out from a couple walking their dog, and was never visited except to escape the rain. It had taken 2 days on the phone to the National Trust to find out that yes, they owned the building and that yes, they were willing for a small fee to hire it out for the day – providing Morgana contributed to the restoration of the place. Within two months, the castle had been transformed. And it had only made a modest dent in her liquid assets. Not that Nikki would ever find out how much money had been put into it. That was one conversation that Morgana would never be brave enough to have.

A collective gasp and the creak of a room full of people getting to their feet and turning to look behind them told her that Nikki had stepped into the hall.

“Fuck,” she swore under her breath, the shaking of her hands magnified by the single flower she held. She had never been more nervous in her life. Ice cold waves crashed over her and she shivered. What if she messed up her vows? What if she stuttered or faltered or said the wrong thing?

“Turn around!” Arthur hissed beside her. “She’s looking right at you!”

Startled by his voice, Morgana swung around, her hair floating up into the air and coming back down slowly with a gentle bounce as her eyes widened and she swore once more under her breath.

There she was, less than twenty feet away and walking slowly towards her.  _Her Nikki_. And she was  _beautiful_. All Morgana had known of her dress was that it would be ivory. With that knowledge she had picked her a lone flower, a rose just off white, the only one in a bouquet of 20 that had passed her inspection. She had hoped to echo Nikki’s outfit, to do it justice. In that she was certain she had failed. Nikki’s dress was far more elegant than a simple rose could ever be. It was done in fine lace to her knees, an elegant bateau neckline giving it a regal air and its long sleeves coming down to her elbows to a wide, smart cuff. Her golden hair was done up in neat bun, several artfully loose strands framing her face.  She looked more gracefully beautiful than Morgana had ever seen her. So beautiful, in fact, that Morgana found her breath stolen from her lungs and her eyes quite unable to look away.

When Nikki reached her, taking her outstretched hand and stepping up onto the platform, it took every ounce of Morgana’s will not to lean in and kiss her. She settled instead on paying her a breathy whispered compliment.

“You look... Oh Nikki, there really aren’t any words for how beautiful you are.”

An ‘aww’ reverberated around the hall, reminding Morgana of the tiny microphone clipped to her dress. That meant they heard her swearing too. Shit. Gwen was going to kill her. She blushed crimson and dropped her eyes. Nikki squeezed her hand and smiled when their eyes met again.

“Charmer,” she whispered, knowing everyone could hear.

The ceremony began with a nod from the officiant for those gathered to take their seats, followed by a brief welcome and introduction to the ceremony that neither bride listened to. They were too busy looking into each other’s eyes, having a whole conversation that no one else could hear. It was only when they were called upon to participate that their attention was drawn, however briefly, to making their vows.

“Who bears the rings?” the officiant asked.

Morgana had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. Nikki rolled her eyes. She wasn’t at all surprised. Morgana was the world’s biggest geek, after all.

“I do,” Arthur said in a rather strangled squeak as he stepped forward with the white cushion on which the twin gold bands sat. “I do,” he repeated, louder and clearer, his cheeks pinking.

At the officiant’s pointed look, Morgana took the smaller of the two rings and reached for Nikki’s hand, cradling it gently. She looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment she pledged to be with Nikki forever. And God, she was nervous. Not because of the commitment but because her vows. She had worked on them all week and had been musing on them for months before that, but still she wasn’t happy. Nothing she could say could justice to Nikki or the way she felt about it, nothing. Before sliding the ring onto Nikki’s finger to sit above the engagement ring she had given her six months before, Morgana brought her hand up to her lips and kissed it.

There was another collective  _‘aww’_  from the guests.

“I promise,” Morgana began, her voice clear and strong as she slid the ring into place, “to love and protect you. To be with you always and follow you wherever you go. To never doubt you nor mistrust you.  To always heed what your heart begs me to hear. To spend my whole life honouring you and making you happy, no matter what. You are my life and my heart. Without you there is nothing. With you, I am all I ever wanted to be. From this day forth, I am bound to you, never to part. Put simply:  _I am yours._ ”

Nikki took a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Twin tears ran down her cheek, brushed gently away by Morgana’s thumb as beautifully and tenderly as her vows had been. It suddenly made Nikki feel wholly inadequate. From all of her hours spent starring at her notepad, she had only come up with one solitary line. Taking the ring from the cushion and setting it in place on Morgana’s finger, Nikki began, “I promise to make a home for you in my heart, my perfect,  _beautiful_  love, and there I will keep our love unbroken and never ending, untouched by time and whatever else might seek to challenge it.” With the simple beauty of Morgana’s last line echoing in her mind, she finished with a heartfelt, “I am yours.”

The officiant’s voice echoed in their ears, the words indistinct, far off. Nothing existed beyond their unbreakable gaze, holding them captivated in a perfect moment that seemed never to end. Only when the crowd began to clap did they know that it was over and that they could finally close the unbearable distance between them and share their first kiss of the day – the first kiss of the rest of their lives.

Dropping her bouquet on the floor, Nikki stepped forward onto her tip toes and draped her arms around Morgana’s neck. She smiled brightly, whispering, “I love you,” before kissing her to a deafening applause. The moment their lips touched her left foot lifted off the floor in a reflex that took her completely by surprise. It seemed that it wasn’t such a cliché after all. When Morgana’s arms went around her waist, pulling her closer, it took her a moment to realise that she was no longer Morgana’s fiancée, but her wife. No realisation had ever made her happier. Except, perhaps, the moment she had realised that she was in love.


	2. The Honeymoon

A smile curved shyly over Nikki’s lips as she dipped her head to hide her blush. The movement made her new fringe fall before her eyes to catch the light, glittering like pale spun gold. She shook her head slightly to banish it, unused to it being permanently in her line of vision.

 

Around her, the whole room was alive with glistening stars that flickered through the circle of people surrounding them. They were in a large, ivory gazebo with open sides that looked out onto the twilight garden, in which Morgan had crept around after the wild rabbits, enchanted by them, whilst the adults dined. He was asleep on two pushed-together chairs by 8pm, his fluffy black hair crushed beneath him like a pillow. Undoubtedly dreaming of rabbits, he slept through the festivities.

 

Above the dance floor were three chandeliers, all of them almost 200 years old and _theirs_ – a wedding present from Morgana’s board members. It seemed they wanted to make up for their wayward colleague and, being filthy rich, they had done it with gold and crystal. Nikki wasn’t complaining, the reflections were adding to the starry atmosphere and she was sure that they would look good in their new house when they finally moved in. One in the dining room and one in the library, she thought. Or perhaps one in the kitchen? They spent half their lives in the kitchen.

 

The tart taste of champagne was still fresh on her tongue and the warm buzz of alcohol was running through her veins, making her giddy as Morgana led her around the floor in a smooth dance that she had evidently being taking lessons to perfect. Morgana’s dance skills previously had been remarkably like Harry’s – awkward with a dash of headbanging.

 

“They seem to be enjoying the show,” Morgana whispered to her, kissing the shell of Nikki’s ear so softly that shivers ran down her spine.

 

“I hadn’t even noticed they were there,” Nikki lied. She knew her flush was giving away her embarrassment but Morgana would never call her out on her moment of insecurity. She felt it too. Nikki could see it in the wideness of her eyes and the trembling tension of her abdominal muscles where they were pressed close together.

 

Morgana smiled that charming way she sometimes did and drew her into another kiss, sealing the moment in Nikki’s memory forever as the one she realised that she was perfectly and completely happy for the first time in her life.

 

“I love you,” she murmured, shivering with the knowledge that not even those words could ever be enough to express how deeply and fully her feelings ran for Morgana.

 

Before her wife could reply, the music soared and other couples suddenly appeared beside them on the floor, dancing honey-slow around them, swiftly all in worlds of their own.

 

“I love you too,” Morgana whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek before pulling back to kiss her properly. They both gave up on dancing then, letting the rest of the world whirl around them as they fell into each other and bloomed.

 

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 “I can’t believe it,” Nikki murmured, her forehead leaning against Morgana’s, their lips barely touching. Her fingers traced over the ring on Morgana’s finger and she smiled when it clinked against her own.

 

“Neither can I,” Morgana agreed, her voice a dreamy whisper as she entwined her fingers with Nikki’s.

 

They were in their bridal car on their way home, the night’s festivities over and their flights to wherever it was they were going not leaving until the following evening. Morgana had arranged it that way purposefully. She had wanted to come home with her wife to their new house and not go to sleep in their own bed -the bed that they first slept together in, in Morgana’s old house.

 

And not sleeping was definitely on the cards. Nikki still hadn’t seen what she was wearing under her bridal dress. The lace had been itching her all day, but it would be more than worth it to see Nikki’s reaction. It had been bloody hard tying the bow by herself but it wasn’t like she could have asked Arthur or Gwen for help her with it. With Arthur, both of them would have died of embarrassment. Gwen would have... Well, she and Gwen had come pretty far since their last kiss the day Morgan was born, but they weren’t quite that firmly platonic that it wouldn’t have been awkward or possibly disastrous. Nikki, it turned out, had a bit of a jealous streak. Something to do with a bad patch Leo and Janet had gone through just before Morgana met them.

 

“In some ways it seems like only yesterday that you kissed me in that bar,” Morgana continued. “But at the same time it feels like we’ve always been together. I can’t imagine life without you anymore.”

 

Nikki smiled and brushed her lips against Morgana’s. “Me neither.”

 

“And I can’t help but wonder why you did it and what would have happened if you hadn’t,” Morgana continued quietly.

 

“Did what?” Nikki asked, frowning as she pulled away enough to take in Morgana pensive expression properly.

 

“Kiss me,” Morgana sighed, as if she wished she had never mentioned it.

 

Nikki’s frown softened. That was an easy answer. “I kissed you because I had never felt anything like that before. There was this… _thing_ about you. It’s a cliché, I know, but I was like a moth to the flame. I couldn’t help but want more and know more and see more and be closer. I thought that if I didn’t kiss you, I would burst. And I couldn’t have cared less about the consequences. They never even crossed my mind.”

 

“You never thought that I might have done it, killed Uther?” Morgana asked. She had asked it before but she hadn’t known Nikki half as well back then.

 

“Not even for a moment, Morgana,” Nikki swore, squeezing her hand. “So don’t ever think that. No one who knew you could have believed it and I, who had only just met you, could see it as clear as day that you loved him far too much for that. You are far too good a person to have ever contemplated something so cold and calculated.” She took a breath, trying to find the words to soothe any of Morgana’s lingering doubts. “Sometimes the police want to wrap up a case quickly and they go for the obvious person because it’s easier and, well, more obvious. A jury is far more likely to convict a troublesome step daughter.  I can’t count the number of husbands or wives I have seen the police put through hell because statistically speaking, they are the most likely to have done it and more likely to be sentenced. I wasn’t a reflection on you. It was a reflection on them.”

 

“We would never have met if it wasn’t for my step-father’s death,” Morgana said quietly. The thought had haunted her in the months after the case had been wrapped up. How could she not be thankful for the circumstances that brought them together? And how could she not hate them for taking away the man who had been her father for as long as she could remember?

 

“No,” Nikki said quite certainly, “we would have. I was never one for fate, but this –” She kissed the back of Morgana’s hand “– this is fate.”

 

The car came to a gentle stop.

 

“Come on,” Morgana said, her eyes brightening, “I have a surprise for you.”

 

Only then did Nikki realise that they weren’t at their flat, but at their new house. The last time she had been inside, the workmen were still finishing the loft conversion and Morgana had been covered in paint in her frankly disastrous attempt to paint the hall ceiling.

 

“But it isn’t finished,” she protested. She didn’t want to spend her wedding night on the unsanded hardwood floor.

 

“Yes it is,” Morgana grinned, grasping her hand and pulling her out the car door.

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

If her dress hadn’t been so long, Morgana was sure that she would have run from the taxi, pulling Nikki along after her like a giggling schoolgirl. Instead, they inched slowly up the rain-slickened path, Morgana clinging tightly to her wife as her heels slipped and skidded with every step, her whole body bubbling over with nerves and excitement. When she turned the key in the lock, she shivered. There was no going back now. Nikki would either be thrilled or really, really pissed off.

 

 “Surprise,” she whispered into the silence, flicking on the lights.

 

From the hallway, Nikki could see that the once empty house was now filled with their things – the things from the flat that had originally been just hers, the things from Morgana’s house and the things they had bought together to inhabit their new life, all of it mixed in concert.

 

“You don’t hate it, do you?” Morgana asked insecurely, the way she got when she was trying to please Nikki or her family. She tried so hard, had ever since her mother died from what Arthur said.

 

In answer, Nikki kissed her lingeringly, whispering, “I love it. Give me a tour?”

 

Morgana’s smile was more than enough to make up for not being able to fit out their house together. She could always move things around a week or so after they got back from honeymoon. That should be enough time to stroke Morgana’s ego. Or at least stop her from making that puppy face when Nikki inevitably shifted things about. And besides, she did smile adoringly at her throughout that tour. She hadn’t even done that bad a job. Though it was a bit… Morgana.

 

By the third room, they were paying more attention to each other than the furnishings. By the fifth, Nikki was tugging Morgana in the direction of the bedroom.

 

“Not yet,” Morgana said, breaking off the kiss and giggling at Nikki’s disappointed frown. “I have another treat for you first.”

 

“I would rather have you,” Nikki purred, smiling slyly.

 

“And you will,” Morgana assured her, leading her into the kitchen and sitting her at their ‘new’ dining room table – a wrought iron thing full of jutting angles that Morgana’s father had made. It was beautiful, if a little scary. The kitchen would definitely be out of bounds when Morgan came to stay.

 

“We need a toast,” Morgana said a little stiffly, before producing an obscenely expensive bottle of champagne – the vintage of the year of Nikki’s birth – and poured them both a glass. When Nikki finally gave up her pouting, she relaxed.

 

“To our new home,” Nikki smiled, raising her glass and clinking it against Morgana’s. “And to my beautiful wife, who really needs to stop with the grand romantic gestures. It’s putting me to shame. Especially when I would really rather be finding out what you’re wearing under your wedding dress.”

 

Morgana blushed. “I like doing it.” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve barely started. And there will be plenty of time for christening the new house, believe me.”

 

Laughing, Nikki pulled her down for a kiss. “You’d better get on with it then,” she whispered, nipping at Morgana’s lip as she stepped away.

 

She watched as Morgana began to pull out ingredients from the cupboards and fridge. It only took her a moment to realise what she was up to.

 

“You’re making me a chocolate fondant at 1.30am?” she asked with a giggle, taking a sip of her champagne. It wasn’t the best she had tasted but the thought that had gone into it made it taste sweet enough.

 

“Not just normal chocolate fondant – which, I would like to point out, I cooked for our first date, making this terribly romantic of me – but salted chocolate fondant,” Morgana answered, her back to Nikki as she turned on the hob. “And I do believe that’s your newfound favourite kind of chocolate.”

 

Nikki licked her lips. There was something delicious about Morgana buttering ramekins in her wedding dress. In fact, if she didn’t distract herself quickly, Morgana’s fondants wouldn’t even make it into the oven.

 

“How exactly did you manage all of this furnishing? There’s no way you could have done it all last night.” That should do it. A nice chat about logistics. There was no way that could lead to her pushing Morgana up against the fridge.

 

“Magic,” Morgana answered nonchalantly, stirring the chocolate in the bain-marie and kicking off her heels.

 

Or maybe it could. Innocuous sounding conversations often did with Morgana. A nice chat about the customer service hotlines at _Invitrogen_ vs. _Lonza_ had quickly deteriorated into sex on the coffee table the Sunday prior.

 

“Ha ha,” Nikki said, trying to sound droll. She crossed her legs and took another sip of champagne. “How did you really do it?”

 

Morgana turned around and winked. “With the power of science.”

 

Nikki looked at her dubiously. God, she had married the world’s biggest geek.

 

“Everything but the stuff from our flat has been in here for a week,” Morgana admitted casually, her attention back on the chocolate mixture. She spooned it carefully into a disposable piping bag and twisted the remaining bag until the chocolate mixture was tightly packed at the nozzle. It wasn’t strictly necessary to pipe the mixture into the pudding, moulds but it was neater. Naturally, that made the step perfectly necessary for Morgana.  “The rest of the stuff came in last night and this morning,” Morgana continued distractedly. With just the right amount of pressure and a healthy amount of concentration – the kind that made her tongue peep out from between her lips and her eyes narrow – she piped the mixture into the moulds. When she was done, she leant back to appraise them proudly. “Arthur helped. A bit.”

 

An unconscious smile rose to Nikki’s lips.

 

“I haven’t said ‘thank you’ for this yet, have I?” She pushed herself up and out of her chair, and crossed to where Morgana was standing, just having struggled to place the fondants in the oven in her tight dress. Sighing happily, Nikki wrapped her arms around Morgana’s waist and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “Thank you. It was a lovely idea. It _is_ a lovely idea. It’s perfect. I love it.”

 

“I’ve even had the heating on since early this morning to make sure it wasn’t cold,” Morgana added, hoping for extra credit. With a deep, rich laugh, Nikki trailed her lips up Morgana’s neck, pausing when she reached her ear.

 

“Oh, don’t worry,” she whispered roguishly, letting her hands wander down to Morgana’s hips. “You’ll get your reward.”

 

When Morgana simply slipped form her embrace and crossed the kitchen, Nikki’s mouth fell open in silent protest.

 

“Not until you’ve eaten the chocolate fondant,” Morgana dictated from the fridge.  At Nikki’s indignant gasp, she added, “Now, be a good girl and go and sit down.”

 

Too shocked to object, Nikki sat back down at the table and crossed her legs primly. She wasn’t really annoyed, just a bit piqued that she wasn’t currently the sole focus of Morgana’s attention. Well, not directly anyway. Then again, she couldn’t even begin to imagine all the thought that Morgana had put into the wedding and the honeymoon. She herself hadn’t lifted a finger. All she had done was pick what kind of flowers she wanted, shopped for her dress and the chosen the venue. Morgana was responsible for every other perfect detail. Nikki could see why she wouldn’t want her plans ruined by wandering hands, no matter how pleasurable as those hands promised to make the experience.

 

“What time do we fly out tomorrow?” Nikki asked, trying to change the subject and perhaps gain some sort of unintentional clue as to their destination. She was getting dangerously close to pouncing on Morgana again.

 

“Six thirty,” Morgana informed her once she was done blending the raspberries and sugar and had retrieved the fondants from the oven. “We don’t need to check in but we should still get there for around five at the latest.”

 

Woe betide Morgana be anything other than pathologically early for everything.

 

 “And before you ask: yes, I have chartered a private plane. And no, you can’t protest because it’s our honeymoon and if I can’t spend money on you now, then when can I.” 

 

Ignoring Nikki’s muted complaints, Morgana turned out the fondants onto a single plate, drizzling the raspberry coulis over them and sifting a light coating of icing sugar on top. She knew that the moment Nikki tasted them, she would forget about her little extravagance with the plane. Not that the plane was the most expensive thing about the wedding. Not by a long shot. Nikki would kill her if she ever found the venue refurbishment bill. Or the one for the honeymoon accommodation.

 

“Never mind the plane,” she said, hitching up her dress just enough to perch herself in front of Nikki on the table, careful not to drop the plate and two spoons. Splitting the first fondant open with one of the spoons, she scooped up some of its molten heart and offered it to Nikki. “Taste this and I promise you will forgive me the plane.”

 

Fixing her eyes on Morgana’s, Nikki made a show of slowly parting her lips sucking the rich, salty chocolate from the spoon, licking off every last smear. A throaty involuntary moan slipped from her parted lips and she shivered, her eyes fluttering closed. Damn Morgana and her perfect cooking.  

 

Half way through the first pudding, Nikki decided that the salty-sweet centre of fondant tasted even better on Morgana’s tongue, and the plate was quickly discarded in favour of moving to the bedroom. Once inside, Morgana shut the door and leaned back against it, dropped Nikki’s hand and looked at her expectantly.

 

“I remember you saying something about a reward?” she reminded her, smiling wickedly. “Strip.”

 

Without breaking eye contact, Nikki reached back and drew the zipper down teasingly slow and echoing loud in the silence of their bedroom.  When she reached the bottom, she bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders, letting her dress slip off her shoulders and onto the hardwood floor, baring the dainty ivory and violet lingerie underneath. She smiled at the hungry look in Morgana’s eyes, a shiver running through her. She knew just what Morgana liked on her, what would make her heart quicken and her kisses just that little bit rougher. Before Morgana, she had never really known what it was like to be desired that way, the way that Morgana desired her. The few long term relationships she had had over the years had all turned passionless fairly quickly. With Morgana, the lust hadn’t even begun to wane and the feeling of Morgana looking at her that way was just as devastating as it had been that first night.

 

“Your turn,” she whispered, walking provocatively towards Morgana, her high heels giving her the height advantage for once.

Morgana shook her head and turned, pulling back her hair to reveal the intricate lacing holding her dress together. “This is a present you will have to unwrap yourself.”

Her mouth dry, Nikki stepped forward and pressed her lips to the pale skin at the back of Morgana’s neck, tugging on the ties, loosening them  bit by bit until she could slip her hands underneath the silk and pry it apart and off. What she saw underneath made her breath catch. Morgana had never been a sports bra and boxer briefs kind of girl – there was always some combination of silk and lace underneath her skinny jeans and Clash t-shirts, a beautiful contrast – but what she had been wearing under her wedding dress was something else entirely. Nikki hadn’t been able to tell that beneath Morgana’s long white dress had been almost sheer brown stockings. She had definitely not been able to tell that said stockings were finished with a wide band of matching lace above her knees and were held up by the most mouth-wateringly sexy suspender belt that Nikki had ever seen. Not that she had really been that much of an expert in lingerie until she had met Morgana or that she had ever seen Morgana wear a suspender belt before. But this one, she was sure, was the hottest in existence, if only for the way it stood out against Morgana’s sun-hidden skin and the way that the straps were just that little bit too tight over her bare curves.

She opened her mouth to swear but nothing came out. Not a sound.

Unbidden, her hands reached out to trail up the back of Morgana’s things and upwards still to cup her barely clothed arse. All that hid the flawless skin were the straps of her suspender belt and the thinnest line of her lace briefs peeking out from beneath the suspender belt that hugged her hips. Intoxicated, she had run her hands up still, over the belt and up her sides, finding no clasp at the back of Morgana’s beautiful, earthy-brown and emerald-green strapless bra.

“Turn around,” she whispered breathily into Morgana’s ear, unable to again resist running her hands over the silky smooth pale skin exposed to her for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. A night apart and the following nuptials had inflamed her already healthy libido.

Morgana turned and brought Nikki’s hands up to the delicate bow at her bra’s bridge. A single tug was all that was needed to undo the elasticated bow and the bra both, letting it fall to join the dress on the floor and leaving Morgana naked above the waist. Nikki’s knees almost gave way.

Unable to resist, Nikki took a step closer and slid one hand up over her toned stomach to her breasts, the other pulling her close, as she breathed, “Oh, you win. You definitely, definitely win.”

“I wasn’t aware there had been a competition,” Morgana whispered sultrily, sliding her hands into Nikki’s briefs and digging in her short black nails.

Nikki gasped for the breath that had just been stolen from her lungs and lifted her head from Morgana’s shoulder to meet her in a desperate kiss.

“Looking at you, there never was,” Nikki muttered, nipping at Morgana’s bottom lip. Her head fell back and she almost lost her balance as Morgana began kissing her way along her jaw, simultaneously ridding Nikki of her briefs.

“Only because you can’t hear the thoughts your little outfit has set running through my mind,” Morgana whispered hotly against her ear. “But don’t worry, I plan to reenact each and every one of them in graphic detail.”

At her words, Nikki’s eyes fluttered closed and she forgot how to breathe.

 

***

 

“Will it do then?” Morgana asked, her voice as soft as the sea breeze that was blowing her inky black hair, loose to beyond her shoulders.

 

She knew it would do. It would do for anyone. More than do.

 

Nikki drew off her sunglasses and gazed open-mouthed in awe. Before them was a slim, bleached white jetty jutting out from the sands on stilts over the cerulean water. It seemed to stretch endlessly before it reached an equally pale wooden cabin far out in the shallow water. Or not a cabin – those are found in woods. This was more of an… an igloo. A big wooden igloo that was three floors high with a thatched at the roof and decking surrounding it. Okay, so maybe not an igloo either. It was something out of a romance novel or the glossy pages of a travel brochure, the photo they put on the cover and to which nothing else inside could ever live up to. A beautiful fantasy come to life.

 

“It’s…” she didn’t know what to say. It was one of the most unreal things she had ever seen. “It’s beautiful.”

 

The receptionist had assured them that their bags were already in the ‘hut’ – that was what they had called it at reception, a ‘hut’, not that it looked like one of those either  – and that a breakfast spread had been laid out for them inside. From the name, Nikki had expected a little shack by the beach. She had almost been ready to whip out Morgana’s credit card and get them changed to one of the white marble villas near the reception. She couldn’t believe that Morgana had brought her all the way to Thailand to stay in a hut. Now that she had seen it, she was sure that this was indeed the most expensive apartment in the complex. That she had ever doubted it seemed absurd – how could she have ever envisaged Morgana settling for less than the best?

 

As if making up for the sedate walk up the path of the night – or was it two nights? – before, they ran down the sturdy little jetty hand in hand, Morgana tugging her almost faster than she could manage in flip flops. At the end of the jetty was a little red door with the words ‘honeymoon suite’ picked out in gold letters. Beneath it an envelope addressed to ‘The Laffertys’ was tacked onto the wood. Nikki pulled it free, took out the letter inside and began to read it aloud.

 

“’Nikki and Morgana,’” she began. “’We couldn’t decide what we ought to get you for a wedding present. Arthur suggested excursions on your honeymoon. Gwen shot that idea down straight away. Janet suggested upgrading your plane tickets as a surprise, but they were already First Class Premium seats. Harry suggested several things which won’t be listed here seeing as Leo is the one typing it and he is not saving a document containing those words on the university network. Morgan suggested a puppy but we think Arthur was behind this suggestion and it had to be explained to him that we couldn’t leave a puppy in your apartment in a foreign country because of quarantine etc. Gwen’s proposal was to leave a selection of your favourite foods in a hamper in the apartment, but then she saw the room service menu and withdrew her suggestion. Leo – that’s me – came up with the winning idea. We have added a little diversion of sorts onto your journey home. You won’t be flying back to London via Hong Kong, but instead via Johannesburg for a week! We have a booked a lovely hotel and have left vouchers to let you decide on the excursions – which surely you must want to do by then.’ And it’s signed: ‘Lots of love, Arthur, Gwen, Harry, Janet, Leo and Morgan.’”

 

Morgana was grinning.

 

“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Nikki asked, slightly embarrassed at the thought of whatever it was that Leo had refused to record in the letter. She would be having words with Harry when they got home. “I can see it in your smug expression. You always look so smug when you think you’ve managed to hide something from me.”

 

Still smirking, Morgana turned the key in the door and pushed it open, a wall of cool air hitting them and suddenly making it easier to breathe. Before them was a dining table and chairs in the centre of a large, round room with a kitchen at one end and large French doors at the other. Many windows circled the walls, some as long as a car and others more like portholes. Light flooded in through them, making the white-washed walls and gleaming terracotta floor glow crisply.

 

To their left was a staircase that curved round and upwards, clinging to the wall. They took it up to the first floor, half of which was tiled with pale blue instead of terracotta and contained a large freestanding bath, couples matching sinks, an open shower and a large mirror – something that Morgana intended to make full use of at some point during their stay. The other half of the room looked to be a sort of office with a desk, a telephone, various menus, instruction manuals and excursion leaflets. Morgana was determined to go on at least one. She had never been to Thailand before and wanted to do a little bit of culture spotting. That had always been Gwen’s ideal holiday when they were younger. She dragged Morgana to every church, temple and museum no matter where they went. Morgana hadn’t been able to understand the fascination at the time, but now she regretted not paying attention when they went on the tour of Ellis Island or walked around St. Petersburg. She wasn’t about to give up the chance of trying real Thai street food.

 

Again, Nikki set off up the stairs and Morgana followed her up to the next and last floor.

 

As you would expect of a honeymoon suite, the centre of the room was taken up by what was possibly the largest bed either of them had ever seen. It was carved from the same pale white wood as the jetty and walls and was draped with white silk and fine cotton sheets. At its foot was a large flat screen TV that would disappear into the wooden bed-end at the push of a button, making Morgana wonder how long their marriage would last if she tried to craftily watch that week’s Doctor Who. At one side of the circular room a small living room had been set up around a coffee table stacked with the bag of books Morgana had bought at the airport. The chairs were big and comfy looking, more than spacious enough for Morgana to pull Nikki onto her knee for them both to flick through the menus and brochures. Opposite all of this was another set of doors leading out onto a balcony where there was a smaller set of table and chairs. It was on that table that breakfast had been laid out for them and so there they headed for first.

 

After a decadent breakfast and many honey-tasting kisses, they slept. The time difference had taken its toll. As far as their internal clocks were concerned, it was 4am not 10am and they hadn’t exactly gotten any sleep the night before either. They woke up as the sun was setting and ordered dinner from the exquisite priceless menu and Morgana got to have Nikki curled up on her knee whilst they waited. Dinner was certain to be exquisitely expensive. Not that Nikki minded. Morgana’s company had just gotten NICE approval for a new flu vaccine and they had already made twice their annual revenue in three months. They could more than afford to spend as much as they damn well pleased on this honeymoon and, for once, Nikki would not be wincing with every flash of Morgana’s credit card. At least probably not. She probably shouldn’t be around when the time came for Morgana to pay their tab at reception when they checked out.

 

Dinner came on a boat and again they ate at the little table on the balcony instead of at the dining table. The view was spectacular and it was within stumbling distance of the bed so Nikki didn’t mind eating in her underwear. They retired to bed again after a bottle of wine and Nikki spent the next few hours hoping that, as it appeared, there really was no one around to hear them.

 

“This is so surreal,” Nikki whispered, shivers of sensation still washing over her like the sea that lapped quietly all around them.  “I can’t believe that we’re really here in this paradise and that you’re really my wife and that I’m yours. It feels far too good to be true.”

 

Morgana laughed lightly and ran her hands down Nikki’s sides, joining them at the small of her back, pulling her closer. “It is, but it’s true anyway.”

 

“It feels like we’re in our own little world here,” Nikki continued. “No one around for miles.”

 

“And excellent WiFi to boot. I, for one, am pretty damn satisfied,” Morgana said only half teasingly. One of the first things she had done was line up her phone, her ipod and her laptop, and set up the complementary internet access. She had claimed it was in case of an emergency as they couldn’t expect people to phone them on anything other than Skype when they were that far away from home. They got an email through during dinner from Gwen with a drawing that Morgan had done of them in their dresses. Nikki had gotten a damn good view when Morgana had stood on the desk in her underwear to pin it up in the little office next to an actual wedding photo, courtesy of Janet, of the two of them kissing under the ivy covered arch. Morgana was going to put it on her desk at work, not that she would ever let Nikki find out.

 

Nikki pinched her side for mentioning the WiFi, and then kissed her. “I love you, Morgana Lafferty, even though you are a geek.”

 

“And I love you, Nikki Lafferty, even though you were mad enough to marry me,” Morgana whispered back, lips taut with a smile when Nikki kissed her again, deepening it. She was literally powerless to resist her.

 

***

 

They got up at 8am the next day to swim before the sun got too hot. Morgana was the first in, diving right off the side of their wooden patio and into the azure water. Nikki sat on the side with her feet in the sea and watched Morgana use her goggles to explore the underwater world around them. She looked endlessly adorable and Nikki had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing when she bobbed back up to the surface with a shiny pink shell. There was a crab inside, which appeared for the first time when it hit fresh air, making Morgana scream and drop it.

 

Nikki slipped into the water then to console and tease her in equal amounts. Morgana, not amused by the whole situation, pushed Nikki under the water and swam away before she could resurface. They played this game for more than an hour, kissing and touching increasingly intimately whenever they caught each other. The game ended when Morgana, having caught Nikki, guided them underneath the patio, pressing her wife up against one of the wooden stilts. Nikki gasped and the soft sound echoed around them, reverberating between wood and water. Every noise they made would be amplified a hundred times.

 

Without her noticing, Morgana tugged loose the two bows holding Nikki’s white halter neck bikini together at the back. A little wave stole it from her completely, letting Morgana gaze down appreciatively at her heaving breasts, saltwater lapping over them. She brought her hands up from Nikki’s sides and covered them slowly, swiping her thumbs over Nikki’s nipples and making her whimper, pinching them gently and then a little harder, nipping Nikki’s tongue in time with her fingers, palming her rougher and rougher until Nikki whimpered with every touch.

 

“Ever had sex in the sea before, all salty wet?” Morgana whispered hotly in her ear, her short nails punctuating her question. Nikki shook her head. She could never speak when Morgana was touching her. It rendered her utterly dumb. “Then it’s time I educated you.”

 

Leaving Nikki’s breasts for the waves to wash up against, keeping the sensations flowing, Morgana slid her hand inside the bottoms of Nikki’s bikini. She was wet from more than just the sea.

 

Nikki breathed heavily, pulling ineffectually at Morgana’s bikini top – dark purple striped with black. Morgana laughed and unclasped it for her, tossing it away and moving closer so that their breasts pressed together, nipples brushing to send tingles down their spines.

 

Before returning her attention to between Nikki’s legs, Morgana brought her hand to Nikki’s hip, encouraging her to wrap one leg around her waist, spreading herself open.

 

“I want you to try to be quiet for me, can you do that?” she whispered into Nikki’s ear, trailing her hand up the inside of Nikki’s thigh. She pressed inside slowly, making Nikki whimper. Her hand retreated and she pulled back enough to peer into Nikki’s dark eyes and see the pink flush of her cheeks. She slid back in, watching Nikki’s head fall back and her eyes dilate. “Make another sound and I’ll stop. Understand?” Nikki whimpered her understanding and again Morgana withdrew. “Not a sound.” This time Nikki nodded silently and got her reward.

 

She didn’t last long with three of Morgana’s fingers driving a slow, deep rhythm inside her whilst her thumb rubbed roughly at her clit and her other hand teased her right breast in time with her thrusts.

 

“Keep quiet,” Morgana reminded her as she neared the edge, her muscles already starting to quiver. “If you start to make a sound, I’ll stop.”

 

Nikki bit her lip and tried to nod, her head thrown back against the stilt. Her whole body was alight with sensation, tiny underwater currents and lapping waves caressing every inch of her at once.

 

It was the press of Morgana’s thumb that shattered her like a wave hitting the rocks. Her throat tore with a silent scream and her breaths stuttered out of her control like an orchestra without a conductor, quivering and rhythmless.

 

She got her own back by swimming off when she was her legs started listening to her brain again and she got out of the water, leaving Morgana aching and unsatiated. Her wife found her a few minutes later laid out on the decking, drying off in the sun with her bikini top still floating somewhere on the ocean surface, her eyes closed. In retaliation, Morgana wrung her hair out onto her stomach, making her scream.

 

“That’s for being selfish,” Morgana quipped with an evil smile. “And I wasn’t even done with you either. I was even going to let you scream next time.”

 

Nikki flushed and watched Morgana disappear into the apartment. Revenge was overrated.

 

 

***

 

 

She made up for it that evening by slipping under the table when dinner was done. She slipped her head under the skirt of Morgana’s beach dress and untied her bikini bottoms, pulling them off her and licking a trail up the inside of her quivering thighs. She tasted like the sea – salty and secretive – and Nikki closed her eyes and hummed appreciatively, the vibrations making Morgana gasp and jerk. Nikki made her come three times before the pins and needles in her knees became too painful to ignore.

She climbed onto her lap and let Morgana taste herself on her tongue, kissing her languidly and deeply, losing herself in the kiss until Morgana had recovered enough to sneak her hand into Nikki’s shorts and make her ride her fingers until she came, finally letting her scream.

***

 

 

“I think,” Nikki panted some time later, in bed, “that I must be dreaming. I must be sat at my desk in front of a pile of paperwork, with my head in my hands, dreaming. Because really, _rationally_ , I cannot have spent the last twenty four hours having really, really good sex in the midst of an island paradise with my _wife_.”

 

“Mmmmm… But you have,” Morgana murmured, nuzzling her neck. “Either that or we have been sharing one hell of a vivid dream – one with all five senses and an R18 rating.”

 

Nikki drifted off to sleep laughing.

 

 

***

 

 

They arrived home on a chilly Sunday morning.

 

Nikki watched appreciatively as, for the third time since they had left on their honeymoon, Morgana pulled their two enormous suitcases off the baggage carousel and helped two elderly couples retrieve theirs too. Both told her how kind she was to help them and one of the men even noticed how Nikki’s arm was through Morgana’s, and told them how sweet they looked together. Nikki smiled and blushed, and Morgana kissed her cheek.

 

Gwen and Arthur were waiting for them in the terminal atrium and Morgan wriggled out of their grasp, shot across the shiny floor and leapt up into Nikki’s arms, showering her cheek in kisses before straining across to kiss Morgana too.

 

“This is it then,” Nikki declared wistfully, Morgan happy on her hip, “we’re back to normality.”

 

Morgana smiled mischievously and gave her a wink. “I wouldn’t say that.”

 

Laughing at the cheesiness, Nikki kissed Morgan’s cheek and grabbed Morgana’s hand. It was something she wouldn’t mind getting used to, she thought – a child on her hip and Morgana’s hand in hers. In fact, it felt pretty damn perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is part of the Conflict of Interest series, which is in the process of being added to AO3.


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